This ultra-modern building sitting atop of the Victoria Peak of Hong Kong, is at 396m (1,200 ft) above sea level. Updated and re-launched in 2006, the Peak Tower is an entertainment center containing several restaurants and shops. It also houses the Peak Tram Terminus, offering rapid tram service to and from the Central District. On a clear day, the Peak Tower may be seen far away across the harbor from the Kowloon side.

Located at the rooftop of the building is the Sky Terrace, offering 360-degree panoramic view across Hong Kong. I had taken some beautiful images of the city from the Terrace before ….. but on this foggy evening, the visibility was so poor that I could barely see the lights of Central. So I just turned around and took a shot of the Peak Tower itself, which resembled an alien spaceship landing on top of the mountain.

Like this:

Tai Hang is an area in Causeway Bay, in Hong Kong Island. The Fire Dragon Dance tradition has its origin in 1880. According to the legend, the villagers once killed a serpent in a stormy night, but in the next morning, the dead body of the serpent had disappeared. A few days later, a plague spread out in Tai Hang and many people died of infection . In his dream, a village elder was told by Buddha to perform a Fire Dragon Dance and to burn fire crackers during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The “Fire Dragon” was built from straw and covered with joss sticks which were lit at night. The Fire Dragon then paraded through the streets of Tai Hang for three days and three nights. The sulphur in the fire crackers drove away the disease and the plague was gone.

This year, Tai Hang celebrates the 133th anniversary of the Fire Dragon Dance tradition. On the Eve of the Mid Autumn Festival, the 32-segment, 220 feet long Fire Dragon paraded through the streets of Tai Hang, with over 300 performers, 70,000 incense sticks, and lots of firecrackers, as it did over a century ago …..

Murray House (美利樓) is a Victorian building originally located in the Central District of Hong Kong. It was built in 1844 as officers’ quarters during British rule and named after Sir George Murray, the British Master-general of the Ordnance. In 1982, the historical landmark was dismantled to make room for the Bank of China. Over 3,000 of the original building blocks were kept and used for restoration of the building in Stanley in 1998.

Muarry House restored in Stanley

The Murray House has a total of 3 levels. The long corridor at ground level is a true architectural beauty, as seen in the featured photo above. The first and second floor housed several restaurants, with exterior seating along the balcony-corridors, offering breath-taking sights of the Stanley bay area. Which view do you prefer? Upstairs or Downstairs?

Restaraunt seating along the balcony-corridor on second level of Murray House